Sean

Snow Lake and mountains
Ask us, Day Hiking, June, Roundups, Washington

Ask us: Good bases for late June day hikes near Seattle?

Friends are visiting Seattle from late June to early July. They recently asked:

I was wondering if there were a few places that you could recommend for some epic hiking. Your flickr account is filled with gorgeous photos of spots that are easy to get to from Seattle, so deciding based on photos seems daunting. We’re thinking of doing three days of hiking (and we’d stay in a cabin overnight) in one or two locations. We’ll have a rental car also. We’re just looking for gorgeous scenery, and up to a moderate level of hiking difficulty. Are there 4 or 5 favorite hikes that fit this that you’d recommend?

This is a challenging time for planning a hiking trip. Some years, the northwest will have warmed up months earlier and the snow will be gone. Other years, many of our favorite trails may still be covered in snow. So, unless you are prepared to deal with snow, you need a base with some different options. There are a few that should fit that bill. Read on for some suggestions of where to stay and corresponding hikes, in both the Cascade and Olympic Mountains.

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view from the Kalepa Ridge Trail
February, Hawaii, United States

Kauai – A February Long Weekend

In February 2017, we spent a long weekend on Kauai, splitting our time between Princeville and Poipu, with hikes along the Nā Pali coast, near Princeville, and in Waimea Canyon State Park, a visit to Kilauea Point, and lots of good food.

We picked Kauai as our February break from Seattle’s rain and grey. Kyle had never been and I had not visited since I was a kid.

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Eiffel Tower and Sacre-Coeur at sunset
Cities, Europe, France, January

Paris in January

Paris can be crisp in January, and Paris can be dreary in January. Regardless, it’s wonderful in January. The city is quiet yet alive. Christmas crowds have gone, but lights and decorations remain. It’s a perfect time to go, bundle up, and walk, and walk, and walk, stopping in at sights or for un chocolat chaud.

Rather than summarize any one trip, I’ll mention a few of my favorite highlights, both in the city and day trips, across a few trips.

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Mesa Arch sunrise, Canyonlands National Park
Day Hiking, October, Utah

Canyonlands & Arches National Parks: An October weekend in Moab

After the previous year’s enjoyable fall escape to Zion, we decided to escape the onset of Seattle’s rainy fall with a trip Moab, Utah. (We saved Bryce for a future visit.) Moab offered the chance to explore Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and could be reached by an easy, direct flight to Salt Lake City followed by a four hour drive.

Our visit included two days of hiking in Canyonlands–one in the Island in the Sky and one in the Needles District–and two days exploring Arches, including the Fiery Furnace, Devil’s Garden, Delicate Arch and Windows Arch. We also enjoyed three breathtaking sunrises at Mesa Arch, Delicate Arch, and the Windows.

Visiting in the fall meant that we got to see the most popular spots without the high-season crowds. We also got to do some hikes that the Park Service and others recommend against doing in the hot summer, including Druid Arch and Syncline Loop.

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Hikers reaching the top of King Ravine Trail, Presidential Range, White Mountain National Forest
Day Hiking, New Hampshire, Roundups

Sean’s Favorite Day Hikes in the White Mountains: The Presidentials

Since I was about two years old, visiting the White Mountains in New Hampshire and Maine has been part of most of my summers. Over those decades, I’ve explored the mountains and valleys extensively. While I’m always eager to check out a new trail or summit, I want to share a few favorite day hikes to which I keep returning. This post covers hikes in the Presidential Range.

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blueberries on Bicknell Ridge Trail
Day Hiking, New Hampshire, Roundups

Sean’s Favorite Day Hikes in the White Mountains: The Carter-Baldface Ranges

Since I was about two years old, visiting Cold River Camp in the White Mountains in New Hampshire and Maine has been part of most of my summers. Over those decades, I’ve explored the mountains and valleys extensively. While I’m always eager to check out a new trail or summit, I want to share some favorite day hikes to which I keep returning. This post covers hikes in the Carter-Baldface Ranges and Evans Notch area.

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Mount Baker from Yellow Aster Butte Trail
August, Day Hiking, Washington

A Week of Day Hikes on the North Side of Mount Baker

My family has spent a week hiking together every summer since I was a child, usually in the White Mountains. I love the White Mountains, but I’ve found it difficult to pull myself away from the local splendor of the Cascades since moving to Seattle. Last August, we compromised and spent a week in the Cascades on the north side of Mount Baker. We rented a house in Glacier, Washington, did day hikes within a short drive.

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Cold River Camp - Lodge and South Baldface
August, Day Hiking, July, New Hampshire

Cold River Camp: A Gem in the White Mountains

I frequently come back from vacations wanting a few days to recharge. Despite finding our trips invigorating in many ways, the constant decisions (where to eat? what to do? when to do it?) and moving around can also leave me exhausted.

My family’s trips to Cold River Camp, in the White Mountains on the border between New Hampshire and Maine, always leave me refreshed. My family has made the trip every year since I was about two. Since moving to the west coast, I have not made the trip every year. With Kyle’s first trip to Cold River this summer, though, it seems like a good time to share some notes.

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Copyright Sean Munson & Kyle Wright.